Meet the candidates for Lee County School Board
There are three Lee County School Board seats up for election this year but voters countywide may only cast a ballot in one of these non-partisan races — the at-large District 7 seat.
As a result of a voter-approved change in 2016, most school board seats are elected by district, meaning the races for the District 2 and 3 seats will be decided by voters within those respective districts only.
As the seats are nonpartisan, voters of any party affiliation may vote in the Aug. 18 primary.
School Board District 2 includes the areas of South Fort Myers, Cypress Lake, Franklin Park, Dunbar, Villas, Tanglewood, Orangewood, San Carlos and Three Oaks.
School Board District 3 includes the areas of Heights, Lexington, Rayma C. Page, Fort Myers Beach, Estero, Pinewoods and Bonita Springs.
The School Board at Large 7 candidate is elected through a district-wide vote and those holding that seat may reside in any district in Lee County.
All three races will offer a primary with the top two vote-getters in each advancing to the General Election in November.
There are four candidates running for School Board in District 2: Emory Cavin, Charla Strange Fox, Melisa Giovannelli, the incumbent, and John F “Jeff” McCullers.
Three candidates are running for School Board in District 3. Brian Digrazio, Chris Patricca, the incumbent, and Jacqueline Perez.
The at Large race in which all voters may cast a ballot, District 7, offers candidates George Peter Bohatch, Cathleen O’Daniel Morgan, the incumbent, and Curt Sheard.
Top vote getters in Primary Election advance to the Nov. 3 General Election.
District 7 – At large
(Everyone votes)
Dr. Pete Bohatch
Seat sought: District 7
Age: 59
Education/ degrees:
Doctorate in Organizational Leadership, Master’s in Social Studies, Bachelor’s in Political Science
Occupation: Retired
Time in district: Employed with the School District of Lee County for 16 years. Resident of Lee County for 8 years.
Professional Experience:
27 years in public education serving as a teacher, dean of students, assistant principal, principal, district director, and district executive director.
Political Experience: None
Civic/Community Involvement: Coalition for Drug Free Lee County
Family: Married wife Jill 36 years, 3 daughters Jessica, Laura, and Katie
Military experience: None
FB page: Pete Bohatch for Lee Schools District Seven @DrPeteBohatch
Candidate positions at a glance
Why are you running?
Running on CHANGE. The current board is “dysfunctional, seldom focusing on issues at hand. Also, EXPERIENCE. My 27 years of experience in several areas of public education would be a huge asset to the students, staff, and community of Lee County.
Planks of platform
* Health, safety and security
* Fair compensation for teachers and support staff
* Utilize tax dollars more efficiently, reduce waste in all areas of the organization
Top three issues:
* Safety and security cannot be compromised
* More emphasis on social-emotional learning
* The student assignment system is broken
*Always involve teachers in the decision-making process
* Fair compensation for teachers and staff
* Reading. Reading. Reading.
Cathleen Morgan, incumbent
Seat sought/district: School Board, District 7
Age: 72
Education/degrees:
BA-Political Science and Economics, Chatham University
MBA-Corporate Finance, NYU Stern School of Business
MEd-Administration, Virginia Commonwealth University
Occupation and place of employment:
Lee County School District, Board Member, District 7
Time in the district/years of residency: 13 years
Business or professional experience applicable to the office you are seeking:
Investment Banking-Department Head, Operations Management and Administration
Commercial Banking-VP, Operations Management and Administration
Political Experience/offices held:
Lee County School Board, 2012-Present
Rye City School District, NY, School Board Member-1993-2000
Civic/community involvement:
School Board Finance Advisory Committee: 2008-12
Gulf Coast Literacy Council: 2011-12
Sacred Heart Center Board of Directors, Richmond, VA,: 2005-2007
Rye Presbyterian Church, Rye, NY-Deacon and Trustee: 1995-2002
Rye Nature Center Board of Directors, Rye, NY: 1992-98
Family: Husband-George “Gie” Morgan; Son-George Morgan, wife Brooke, and son Georgie; Son-Rich Morgan
Military experience: None
Website: Morgan4LCPS@gmail.com
Candidate positions at a glance:
Why are you running?
My job is not finished. Critical elements of high achieving school districts are a high performing superintendent, a flexible, forward thinking strategic plan, and a professional, high quality school board. Five years ago, we hired a Superintendent who has proven to be an effective education leader-respected by educators, business leaders, and community members. Four years ago we implemented a District Strategic Plan (Envision 2020). It has proven to be effective-for three years our graduation rates have increased, student achievement in language arts and math has improved at all levels, and the achievement gap for minorities is narrowing.
Nevertheless, our current Board struggles to agree on policies and strategies as we move forward. I am committed to working on a stable, committed, focused Board team, so that we can become the high quality School Board families and taxpayers deserve.
Planks of your platform:
Increase Operational Funding
Learning readiness: pre-K to grade 12
Community collaboration: quality pre-K and state-of-the-art career and technical education.
Top three issues:
1. Funding:
Teacher hiring, retention, and compensation: We need to provide professional living wages that will encourage people to enter the profession and choose to stay.
We need additional student services staff to support classroom teachers-social workers, psychologists, school counselors-and we need to provide the time and resources they need to do their job professionally.
Until state and local leaders acknowledge the mutual symbiosis of public education and the economy; until they agree to fund all types of public education equitably; and until they allow local districts to make local decisions about programs and allocation of resources that meet the needs of their student population and constituents, we will struggle to obtain adequate funding for the challenges we face.
2. Learning Readiness:
Expanding capacity for access to high quality, early childhood education. Build literacy, language capacity, and school readiness skills for children entering kindergarten.
Teacher time management/student seat time paradigm shift: Change state grade and classroom readiness requirements and associated accountability for teachers. Our distance learning strategy in response to the pandemic has deepened our understanding of what may be possible in a blended learning model for public education. Qualified classroom educators are the greatest predictor of student success and their time should be used where it has the greatest utility for student learning.
3. Community collaboration:
The School District must facilitate increased community involvement with local providers of early childhood education to improve access to high quality child care-child care that is developmentally appropriate.
We must expand our capacity for teaching and learning in career and technology areas. Local partnerships will help us improve quality of instruction, curriculum, and training materials.
Curtis J. Sheard
Seat sought/district: District 7 School Board
Age: 47
Education/degrees:
Attended public school in Lee County and graduated from Cape Coral High School.
Georgia Military College A.S. Military Science
Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University (FAMU) B.S. Construction Engineering Technology
Occupation and place of employment: Project Manager (C2 Consulting Group )
Time in the district in which you are running; years of residency in Lee County: 30 years
Business or professional experience applicable to the office you are seeking:
Entrepreneur General Contractor for 25 years.
Upon completion of a Bachelor of Science degree in Construction Engineering Technology from FAMU began a career as an active duty U.S. Army Corps of Engineers officer. While serving in various roles, was instrumental in organizing and successfully completing a mobilization exercise consisting of over 800 soldiers and $15 million of equipment from Texas to Washington State. Completed military career as a Captain and entered into the private sector of construction, working in various industries within the construction arena including fiber optic construction and installation, underground utilities, commercial and residential. Project budgets have ranged from thousands to his largest project in excess of $110M which were constructed in Afghanistan.
Upon returning home to Florida, received his Florida Certified General Contractors License.
Political Experience/offices held: N/A
Civic/Community involvement:
Former Executive Board Member of the Dunbar Youth Football and Cheer Association, Former Member of the City of Fort Myers CRA Advisory Board, Former Member of the Lee County School Board Advisory and Construction Committee
Family: Son CJ, Daughter AJ
Military Experience: Former US Army Engineer Officer (Captain)
Website: www.facebook.com/imwithcurt/
Candidate positions at a glance
Why are you running?
It is my desire to provide a fresh perspective while utilizing my business skills, military training and community service time to add value to the board. It is my goal to be the catalyst of positive change which will in turn make our school district more desirable.”
Planks of your platform:
Why are you running for the school board?
It is my desire to provide a fresh perspective while utilizing my business skills, military training and community service time to add value to the board. It is my goal to be the catalyst of positive change which will in turn make our school district more desirable.
Top three issues:
accountability, transparency and student safety
_____________________
District 2
(District 2 voters only, this race may not appear on your ballot.)
Emory Cavin
Seat sought/district: District
Age: 18
Education/degrees:
Fort Myers High School, 2020
Occupation and place of employment: Student Videojournalist at the Lee County School District
Time in the district in which you are running; years of residency in Lee County:
I have lived in District 2 for 5 years and Lee County for 15.
Business or professional experience applicable to the office you are seeking:
I worked for 4 years in the communications and production department where I produced video news stories about the extraordinary people we have around our district. It gave me a lot of insight into the people whose lives are truly affected by board policy.
Political Experience/offices held:
I was the president of student government on my school and served on my school’s advisory committee as well as the Lee County School District’s Student Advisory Committee.
Civic/Community involvement:
I was responsible for planning and raising money for many purposes including the support of cancer research and giving holiday gifts to local elementary school students.
Family:
I come from a family of educators. My grandfather was a high school history teacher and principal for many years. My grandmother was a professor of nursing. My great-aunt was a 5th grade teacher and my great-uncle a professor of biology and Dean of Graduate Affairs. One cousin is a professor of English and another cousin is a professor of medicine. Both of my parents are professors, one of theater and the other of communication. I was taught from a very young age that the most valuable and even priceless gift my family could give me was an education, more than money or possessions.
Military Experience: N/A
Website: www.facebook.com/Emory-Cavin-for-Lee-County-School-Board-District-2-114336023640991
Candidate positions at a glance:
Why are you running?
I am 18 years old and graduated from Fort Myers High School earlier this year, which gives me an unconventional perspective on this position. For the past four years, I have been involved with my school and community in my roles as Student Government President, student representative on Fort Myers High School’s School Advisory Committee, and representative on the School Board Student Advisory Committee. In that role, I had opportunities to speak and give short speeches about the issues our faculty, staff, and students face to the board and the public. I also worked for four years in the Communications and Production Department at the school district where I created video news stories about various faculty, staff, students, and parents. This position gave me the unique opportunity of visiting almost every school in the district and forming real connections with the people that give so much of their blood, sweat, and tears to our students. Altogether, these positions gave me a firsthand view of the way school board policy affects real people. Now, I hope to give back to my community by making sure that our district’s employees get the respect they deserve and create an environment for them that will allow them to continue to mold our children into the prepared, confident, and open-minded adults of the future.
Planks of your platform:
All students deserve access to a quality education that empowers them to become the strong, open-minded people of the future.
All teachers and staff deserve to have a salary that reflects the time and dedication they have invested in our students.
All students deserve access to quality mental health treatment whenever they need it.
All students learn differently, and should not be judged based on standardized tests.
All teachers should have the freedom to develop lesson plans to fit the learning needs of each individual student.
Education should always be among the top priorities of a thriving community.
Top three issues:
My top three issues are teacher retention, raising our revenue, and board unity.
1) I propose that we raise the maximum amount a teacher can make over the course of their career as opposed to continuing to raise the starting salary. If we emphasize the needs of people who have dedicated their lives to providing priceless knowledge and wisdom to our students, new teachers searching for jobs around the country will see this and be more likely to want to form roots in Lee County.
2) We are growing at such a rapid rate that we would need to build a new school every year to keep up with our growing student population. Despite this challenge, I do not believe we should seek to raise taxes until we have completely exhausted all other avenues. There are multiple alternate ways to raise our budget, such as eliminating wasteful private contracts and fighting for more funding at the state level.
3) Representing a diverse community, public officials need to debate each other, however, it shouldn’t resort to personal vendettas. In my role as board member, I will embody and communicate our true purpose which is to do what is best for the community.
Charla Strange Fox
Seat sought/district: Lee County School Board, District 2
Age: 60
Education/degrees:
Fort Myers High School, University of Tennessee Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, Major in Finance
Occupation and place of employment: High School Mathematics Teacher, South Fort Myers High, Lee County School District
Time in the district in which you are running; years of residency in Lee County:
60 years, Born and raised in Fort Myers
Business or professional experience applicable to the office you are seeking:
Political Experience/offices held:
Civic/Community involvement:
Fort Myers Women’s Community Club, League of Women Voters, National Organization for Women, Teachers Association of Lee County
Family:
George Fox (Husband), General Contractor; Sabrina Wessel (stepdaughter)High School Junior (Cypress Lake); Trevor Fox (stepson) U.S. Marine Corp
Military Experience:
Website: www.charlafoxforschools.com
Candidate positions at a glance
Why are you running?
As an educator, I know first-hand the needs of our students. I see how state mandates impact teaching and learning. An educated work force is a work force that creates economic stability and growth for our community. If our community is serious about our students’ success, then we need to get serious about doing what works for students.
Planks of your platform:
Doing what’s best for students
Supporting Teachers and Support Professionals
Fighting for necessary resources for our public schools
Advocating for Local Control
Top three issues:
Safety in the COVID 19 era
Funding Cuts from the Legislature
Support for Teachers and Support Professionals (their workspace is our students learning space)
Melisa Giovannelli, incumbent
Seat sought/district: Lee County School Board, District 2
Age: N/A
Education/degrees: Riverdale High School Graduate, Florida Real Estate License, Ed Klopfer School of Real Estate, Paralegal Certification, Barry University
Occupation and place of employment: Licensed Real Estate Sales Person, Lee County School District, School Board Member, District 2
Time in the district in which you are running; years of residency in Lee County: Native resident of Lee County
Business or professional experience applicable to the office you are seeking: Finance Advisory Committee, Project YES, Learning for Life, Inc., School Board Student Advisory Committee
Political Experience/offices held: Lee County School District, School Board Member, District 2
Civic/Community involvement: Member of Vineyard Christian Fellowship, Fort Myers Republican Women’s Club, Lee County Republican Executive Committee, Lee Republican Women Federated, National Association for Women “Now”, League of Women’s Voters, African American Network, Businesspeople United for Political Action Committee “BUPAC”, Edison Festival of Lights Board Member, Blessings in a Backpack, Education First, Foreign Exchange Program Host Family, Blankets & Blessings, Lee County School Board Liaison
Family: Married, Two daughters – one attending and one graduate of Lee County Schools
Military Experience: N/A
Website: www.facebook.com/Melisa-Giovannelli-for-Lee-County-School-Board-District-2-1145850865435466/
Candidate positions at a glance:
Why are you running?
I am running for re-election because I want to continue my work as being the voice of the people and for the people. I bring public awareness of the needs of our District with my relationships throughout the community. When you have tax dollars at stake and a $1.6 Billion Dollar Budget you have to question how things are done and how the money is being spent. I was elected to protect the children and our tax dollars. I am not the go-along get-along elected official. I am not part of the establishment, I will continue to advocate for students, parents and teachers. I will continue to ask the hard questions: Are we supporting out students and teachers? Are our students and staff safe? Are we making sound decisions? Is the District being fiscally responsible? Are we making sure All students are being educated to their utmost ability? All these questions should aid and lead to increased graduation rates as all students are entitled to a free and appropriate education.
Top three issues: Her top three issues are transparency, accountability and fiscally responsible; student achievement and student and staff safety.
John F. “Jeff” McCullers
Seat sought/district: School Board, District 2
Age: 59
Education/degrees:
Ed.D., Educational Leadership, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida.
M.S., Educational Leadership, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
B.A., English Education, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida. (National Merit Scholar.)
Cypress Lake High School, high school diploma, Fort Myers, Florida.
Occupation and place of employment:
Currently retired. Prior employment included 35 years in the School District of Lee County as follows:
Director, Grants & Program Development, 2000-2019
Coordinator, Personnel Services, 1998-2000
Teacher on Special Assignment, Staff Development, 1996-97
Teacher, Academy High School, 1993-1996
Teacher, Cypress Lake High School, 1984-1993
Time in the district in which you are running; years of residency in Lee County:
I have lived in Lee County for my entire life (59 years). I did my undergraduate studies in Gainesville, but even during that time my home address was in Estero. I am the 4th generation of my family to grow up in Estero and Estero Bay.
I first lived in Estero (School Board, District 3) for 23 years.
I then lived in mid-town Fort Myers (School Board District 4) for 7 years.
I currently live in the south Fort Myers neighborhood of Country Oaks (School Board District 2), where I have lived for 29 years.
Business or professional experience applicable to the office you are seeking:
Classroom teacher (Biology, Drama, English, Humanities, Journalism, and Stagecraft), 13 years
School district administrator (Staff Development, Human Resources, Academic Services), 22 years
Federal education grants development, administration, and evaluation, 21 years
Charter school authorizing, evaluation, and supervision, 20 years
Largest staff I supervised directly: 6 people
Largest annual budget I supervised directly: approximately $4 million in federal grants
Largest activity I supervised indirectly: 26 charter schools serving about 13,000 students
Largest annual budget I supervised indirectly: approximately $75 million in federal grants
Political Experience/offices held:
I have never held political office before, but I have worked closely with elected School Board Members for 20 years.
Civic/Community involvement:
Florida Repertory Theater Advisory Board (2019-current)
Florida Committee of Title I Practitioners (2017-2019)
Florida Association of Charter School Authorizers (2007-2019)
Florida Grant Developers Network K-12 (2004-2019)
Teachers Association of Lee County (1984-1998)
Lee County 4-H Advisory Council (1984-1988)
Family:
I have been married to Dona M. Ainsley for 36 years. We have a daughter Ainsley who lives in Los Angeles and a son who lives with us in Fort Myers.
My great-great-grandparents settled on Mound Key in Estero Bay in 1897.
Military Experience:
I have not served in the armed forces.
Website:
Candidate positions at a glance:
Support teachers as professionals, and compete for the best teachers.
Keep schools safe.
Protect and promote arts education.
Teach for life and not just for the test.
Why are you running?
I want to live in a town with great schools, and I can help make sure that happens. My entire 35-year career in education was repaying a debt I owed to my own teachers. I have served students and teachers and families all of my life, and I want to continue paying it forward.
Planks of your platform:
Competitiveness: The school district must be a prestige employer that attracts the most talented people.
Safety: Our school must be safe for our students, our families, our employees, and our citizens. This encompasses physical safety and security, safety during the pandemic, and mental health and well-being of our students and staff.
Teaching for life: As much as possible, I want schools to provide lessons that prepare students for a successful and happy life rather than just prepare them for a standardized test. Our graduates need rigorous academic skills, of course, but they also need to understand how their government works, how careers are built, how to work in diverse groups, and how to be good parents and responsible citizens.
Top three issues:
Leadership: The School Board has not worked well together for some time and has crossed the line from setting policy into trying to control day-to-day operations. The Board must commit to collegial relationships, to working as a team, and to respecting the distinct roles of the Board and the Superintendent.
Stewardship: The citizens of Lee County put great trust into the School District by approving the half-cent sales tax referendum. The School Board must continue to be deserving of that trust by making careful decisions, by being good stewards of public fund, and by being completely transparent with the community about how its money is being spent.
Weather the storm: The coming years are going to be extraordinarily difficult times for everyone with the global economic shutdown and the ongoing pandemic. This will make the difficult job of overseeing 120 public schools serving 100,000 students more complex than ever. At the same time, society is undergoing generation changes in technology, in vocations, and in demands for social and economic justice. We need steady hands at the wheel to keep our schools being the best they can be, and we need a School Board with the vision to see what opportunities for innovation and improvement might arise in all of this. The times are changing, and our schools will need to be ready to change with the times.
_____________________
DISTRICT 3
(District 3 voters only, this race may not appear on your ballot.)
Brian Digrazio
Seat sought/district: Lee County School Board District 3
Age: N/A
Education/degrees:
Degree in Nursing from Raritan Valley Community College
Occupation and place of employment:
Critical Care Certified Registered Nurse; Cape Coral Hospital ICU Unit, Lee Health
Time in the district in which you are running; years of residency in Lee County:
Bought first home in Lee County in 2014
Family: Wife Jaclyn, three children with a fourth due in August
Website: www.facebook.com/digrazio.brian/
Why are you running for the school board?
“I am running for School Board for a multitude of reasons. The biggest inspiration for taking on this endeavor is my children. I currently have three kids, ages 5, 4, and 1. As well as one on the way. All of them will attend district public schools. I believe the district does a lot of things well, but there are also several opportunities for improvement. My biggest concern is the safety of our students. Whether it’s bullying, serious safety incidents, or COVID-19, we must meet this basic need in order to be successful in educating our children. With my experience as a Critical Care RN, I feel I can help bring about some of the needed changes in order for the district to achieve its vision of being a world class school system.”
Top three issues:
Safety, fiscal responsibility, proximity plan and employee pay increases.
Chris Patricca, incumbent
Seat sought/district: Lee County School Board District 3
Age: 50
Education/degrees:
I earned my Juris Doctorate from Seton Hall University School of Law. I earned my B.A. in Government from Clark University. I earned my A.A. in Criminal Justice from Quinsigamond Community College.
Occupation and place of employment: School Board Member for the School District of Lee County; and Adjunct Professor in the Justice Studies Department of the College of Arts & Sciences at Florida Gulf Coast University.
Time in the district in which you are running; years of residency in Lee County:
We have lived in Estero for 8 years.
Business or professional experience applicable to the office you are seeking:
I currently sit on the Lee County School Board which oversees a $1.644 billion budget We have three employees: the Superintendent, the School Board Attorney, and the Internal Auditor. In addition, we approve personnel decisions recommended by the Superintendent for our nearly 14,000 employees.
Political Experience/offices held:
I am completing my first term on the Lee County School Board.
Civic/Community involvement:
I am a member of the following: Florida High School Athletic Association Board of Directors; President elect of the Florida School Boards Association (FSBA); member of the Swim Florida Board of Directors; Lee County School Board (LCSB) Liaison to the Estero Education Initiative; LCSD Liaison the District Advisory Council and the Executive District Advisory Council. Past positions include: Vice President of the FSBA; Member of the Board of Directors of the FSBA; Vice Chair of FSBA Federal Relations Committee; Chair of the FSBA Policy Committee; Member of Uncommon Friends Board of Directors; LCSB Equity and Diversity Committee Liaison; LCSB Finance Advisory Committee Liaison; and Member of The Stoneybrook of Estero Homeowners Association.
Family: I have been married to my husband, Tom, for 19 years. We have four children: Patti, 16; Grady, 15; Jack, 14; and T (short for Thomas), 14.
Military Experience: N/A
Website:
christinepatricca.wixsite.com/mysite
Candidate positions at a glance:
Why are you running?
I hope to win a second term on the School Board to build upon momentum started during my first time. In the past 3.5 years: the graduation rate has increased each year; we have no “D” or “F” schools and “A” and “B” schools have increased each year; and achievement gaps decrease each year. In addition, we secured additional capital revenue to combat a $130 million per year decrease in state funding at a time when we are growing by approximately 1,500 new students per year. When I educated the public on why our children and staff need safe, appropriate learning environments, I promised to spend that sales tax revenue efficiently. I would like to persist in being part of the leadership team that continues to keep that promise.
Planks of your platform: Unlocking student potential; supporting quality teachers and staff; Increasing family and community involvement; Maintaining fiscal responsibility and transparency; Enhancing safety and security; and Increasing educational opportunities in the trades.
Top three issues:
1. Reopening schools in a manner that is safe for students and staff; and integral part of which is following the advice of Lee County medical and health experts.
2. Working to change the state funding model so that School District has the flexibility to set its own millage rates in the same way that the county and municipalities set their own millage rates. Currently, the State dictates the millage rate for School Districts in Florida.
3. Working to increase educational opportunities in the trades.
Jacqueline Perez
Seat sought/district:
Lee County School Board District 3
Age: 54
Education/degrees:
Associates Degree From LaGuardia Community College (Physical Therapist Assitant.)
Occupation and place of employment:
International Marble Co., Fort Myers Fl
Time in the district in which you are running; years of residency in Lee County: 27 years
Business or professional experience applicable to the office you are seeking. If listing budgeting or supervisory experience, please be specific, listing amount of budget, number of people supervised, agency, etc. Estimating, Sales, Purchasing, A/P & A/R, Field work of project managing (16 -20 employees) on high rises and communities. Healthcare experience.Patient care, plan of care, interdisciplinary meetings,staff meetings, scheduling, patient care in acute care settings ( high pressured), home health, skilled nursing and residential homes. Medical terminology and note taking.
Political Experience/offices held:
No political office held. I have lobbied for HB 495 on behalf of a parent to Representative Ray Rodrigues and this bill passed , lobbied in Washington D.C. for the Hereditary Angioedema Association for the following House Bills, Safe Step Act and the Access to Marketplace Insurance Act.
Civic/Community involvement:
Volunteer work with ; My Autism Connection, Worth Advocacy, Our Lady of Light Teen Life, Habitat for Humanity donated Kicthen tops and bathrooms through Transeastern homes, SPecial Olympics, Border Babies with the Catholic Brooklyn Archdiocese, Teaching Immigrants English, translator, Donation Collection for Hurricane Maria Victims, Drive for feminine products for needy and homeless young girls.
Family:
Husband, four children that have attended Lee County Schools. three grandchildren in Lee County SChools
Military Experience:No
Website:
jacquelineperezdistrict3schoolboard.com/
www.facebook.com/JacquelinePerezSchoolDistrict3
Candidate positions at a glance:
Accountability
Commitment
Transparency
Security
Why are you running?
I am running because I have advocated for almost ten years on the behalf of students and employees. We have the 4th highest rate of student retention in the 12th grade. We are ranked 38th among allschool districts in Florida.The district has been found guilty of misappropriating public funds several times on the Florida Auditor General.I have successfully filed complaints with the Federal Department of Educartion Office of Civil Rights on behalf of students that had their rights violated. In August of 2015 the district entered into agreement to make changes and they implemented a training program for all employees on retaliation and 504 accomodations. This also led to the district’s website being updated to include bullying forms for a complaint and information to aid parents and employees.
I also assisted in the resolution agreement in 2018 which had the district agree to address the disparate treatment of students in reference to suspension rates and achievement rates. In December of 2017 the district again entered into a Federal resolution agreement for bullying and violations for denying a child a 504.
I have spoken at the Joint Legislative Audit Committee and the misappropriation of public funds and we recently had another audit completed from the same agency which presented with violations again. Board members that are presently running have stated the opposite and this information can be verified with the DOE. Those board members have all self -evaluated themselves and gave themselves poor ratings. Why should we trust them? They have rubber stamped everything the superintendent has given with them and have failed to fulfill their obligations as the district’s oversight officials.
I have spoken at many board meetings and have extensive experience in advocacy.
Top three issues:
Graduation Rates & Student Achievement
Teachers salaries
Financial Responsibility and accountability
* All biographical information has been supplied by the candidates or is from candidate prepared information sources.